Asparagus – Birth Defect Fighter

Image provided by Derek Oyen
Asparagus is a strange looking vegetable, it doesn’t look very appetizing but is full of essential nutrients. This vegetable is an excellent source of vitamin K and folate. Vitamin K is important for blood clotting and cell development. Although, too much vitamin K may increase the risk of blood clots in the heart and brain. Your body can get rid of vitamin K faster than most fat-soluble vitamins so this shouldn’t be a problem. If you are worried about consuming too much vitamin K, avoiding eating kale, one cup of kale has over 1,000 percent of the daily value of vitamin K. Other vegetables that are high in vitamin K are: broccoli, brussels sprouts, swiss chard, chives, green pepper and spinach. Folate (vitamin B9) plays an important role for promoting cardiovascular health. Folate helps control the levels of homocysteine in the blood. Homocysteine may increase the risk of atherosclerosis, hardening of the artery walls. Women who are pregnant should be familiar with asparagus because it helps prevent neural tube defects in newborns. The recommended dietary allowance of folate for both men and women is 400 mcg per day.

Asparagus is also high in vitamin C and A, these two antioxidants are important for reducing the effects of free radicals. Because of its high levels of antioxidants, Chinese physicians have used asparagus to treat arthritis. Other nutrients found in asparagus are: vitamin B1, B2, B3 and B6, manganese, copper, phosphorus, potassium, iron, zinc, magnesium, selenium and dietary fiber. Asparagus should be cooked as soon as possible after buying because it can lose more than half of its vitamin C. To reduce the loss of vitamin C, wrapped it with a damp cloth and put it in the refrigerator.

Benefits of asparagus:

• Great source of antioxidants (vitamin C and A)
• Excellent source of vitamin K and folate (vitamin B9)
• Helps prevent neural tube defects in newborns
• Promotes cardiovascular health
• Helps prevent atherosclerosis
• May protect against certain cancer (cervical and colon cancer)
• Great for increasing energy
• Great source of B-vitamins

Related Posts:

• Spinach – Best Source of Antioxidants
• Turnip Greens – Arthritis Fighter

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